Hindi is the standardized version of the Hindustani language that is spoken in parts of India including; Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan. Hindi is one of the official languages of India.

10 Hindi phrases you need to know before you go

Hindi is the standardized version of the Hindustani language that is spoken in parts of India including; Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan. Hindi is one of the official languages of India.

Hindi is native to India, but there are significant communities in South Africa, and Nepal. Over 180 million people are native speakers of the language making it the sixth most widely spoken language in the world. India is an upcoming economic giant and like its neighbor to the north (China), the country has sought to spread the wings of the language. Unfortunately, unlike their Chinese Mandarin neighbors to the north, they were colonized by the British and thus also use English widely. This has relegated their native language to the back burner in terms of business communication.

This is not to say that a tourist to these regions of India should not learn a few phrases of the language. The locals are more likely to be receptive of you if you can speak a few phrases of their language. Below are the most commonly used phrases of Hindi.

These are some of the phrases you would want to learn when visiting India, Nepal and some parts of South Africa. Hindi is widely spoken even in areas that are not predominantly Hindi such as Bengal and Gujarat. It is the national language of India and you are well placed to mingle with Indians if you can speak the language.